Now My Life is Changing (It's Always Rearranging)
by voilawriter
Summary: "Bonnie, did I just take a history exam for you?" "Yeah, I mean what's the point of having this link thing if I can't use you for cheating on history tests?" A Pre-Series AU: Bonnie starts a summer by speaking to a vampire three states away, by accident. Grams is not amused. Also, Damon gets a friend.


**Now My Life Is Changing (It's Always Rearranging)**

"Grams, I spoke to someone today!" Bonnie Bennett bounced into her grandmother's kitchen, curls in disarray and her entire body positively vibrating with excitement.

"Well, that's great sweetheart, but you do talk to your friends everyday don't you?" Sheila Bennett turned from the recipe book she had been studying to fix a look onto her young granddaughter. She knew the girl was popular at her school, and as today had been the last day of said school it was logical that she had talked to even more people than usual. As such, her conversation starter made no sense.

"No! Well, yes, I do talk to my friends all the time obviously, but that's not what I mean. I talked to someone without speaking-like psychically!" Now Sheila's full attention was on her granddaughter, the recipe book slammed closed as her body whirled around.

"Are you crazy girl? What do you think you're doing, talking to-?" Bonnie cut her off, waving her hands in front of her excitedly.

"It wasn't a random kid at school, Grams. It was another psychic!"

"There's another psychic at your school?" Sheila questioned sharply.

"He wasn't from Robert E Lee, he was definitely too distinguished to be a high school _boy_. Besides, he's not in Fell's Church, he was in somewhere called Bloomfield, and he said it was just outside Pittsburgh in case you were wondering. I had no idea where Bloomfield was so I asked."

"You spoke- with your mind- to a man in Pennsylvania?"

"Yeah, isn't this amazing? I'm not going to lie to you Grams, I never really believed the whole witch thing before. I thought you were just drinking too much sherry at those quilting club meetings. But I will never doubt you again, like ever." Sheila sighed and placed her hand on Bonnie's back, leading the girl into the living room and onto one of the floral couches.

"Bonnie, your reach should not extend that far, especially on your first try, let alone on someone you have never even met in person. That your mind found his and then you preceded to have an extended conversation with him in unheard of."

"But I wasn't even trying, I'd just been spacing out during Tanner's lecturing- did I tell you we're having him next year too? Apparently he couldn't settle for just global history, now he wants to teach American history as well. Anyway, I was just letting my mind wander a bit and then it felt like I had just bumped into someone. It wasn't hard at all."

"What was he?"

"What do you mean?"

"Bonnie, this isn't something that happens to witches, even Bennetts. But being descendents of druids isn't the only way to obtain psychic powers. I'll explain this all later- did he give you a name?"

"Yeah he did. It was Damon, Damon Salvatore." Sheila pressed a hand to her heart. Bonnie extended her arms nervously, as if to catch her grandmother. "What, do you know him?"

"Oh dear Bonnie, you have no idea what you have done."

_((O))_

"My grandmother told me you're a vampire."

"Did she now?"

"Was she telling the truth? Are you a vampire?"

"Yes."

"Do you drink human blood?"

"Yes."

"Do you kill people?"

"…Sometimes."

_((O))_

"Damon?" Bonnie called out uncertainly. Their two earlier conversations had seemed accidental. She bumped into his mind and he started talking to her.

"I didn't think you were coming back, with the whole vampire thing and all." Bonnie gulped, not really sure how to proceed.

"Yeah, I didn't really think I was going to talk to you again either."

"What changed your mind?"

"Would anything I say or do ever stop you from killing people?"

"You could kill me." Bonnie nodded to her empty room.

"I don't think I could, I haven't really gotten a handle on the witchy powers yet."

"So you thought about killing me then?" Bonnie had no idea how to answer his question. The truth was yes- and she had even updated herself with old Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes. But she knew that she couldn't do it- in anyway.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from a Bennett." Out of context the words could have been taken as scornful, even in context they could have really. But Bonnie could hear the amusement in Damon's tone, and even a hint of pride. As if this was a test, and her wanting to kill him gave her a passing grade.

"So where are you now?"

"San Antonio- that's in Texas by the way- and I am enjoying the best lettuce wrap I have ever had the pleasure of eating."

"You can still eat real food? Like normal stuff- not blood?"

"Oh Bonnie, you really should study up on the supernatural, you are a member of the club after all."

_((O))_

"Where are you right now? You sound distracted."

"On the contrary dear Bonnie, my entire focus rests solely on you."

"You're so lame sometimes. But seriously, where are you?"

"At this very moment I am crossing Fifth Avenue."

"You're in New York City!"

"Yup." Damon popped the 'p' at the end of the word and Bonnie struggled not to roll her eyes. It didn't matter if they couldn't see each other; Damon always seemed to know when she was making faces at him.

"This sucks. You're off having fun in a huge city while I'm stuck in southern Virginia. I hate my life." Bonnie stuck out her bottom lip as she looked down at her freshly painted toes.

"Hey, stop pouting, your life doesn't suck. You're alive, that's more than I can say anyway." Bonnie gave a short laugh at his joke.

"Thanks Damon. Do you think red toenails make a girl look desperate?"

"Why would you ask me that?"

"Well, I just painted my toenails red and now I'm wondering." She also knew that Damon was a total womanizer, if any guy could tell her the do and don'ts of dating, it was him.

"No, I don't think it does. To tell you the truth Bonnie, I think the only time I would notice a girl's toenails is if they were gross."

"M'kay. Thanks Damon."

_((O))_

"So are you like, a travel writer or something?"

"Bonnie, you do realize that I am a vampire? Why on Earth would you think that I am a writer of useless guidebooks?"

"Of course I get that you're a vampire, but that's not a job so I figured you had to have a job or something, so you could buy stuff."

"I'm a vampire; I have compulsion, why would I need money?"

"What's compulsion?"

"I find it hard to believe that your grandmother didn't warn you about that considering who you're talking to in your head." He paused before continuing. "I'll make sure to send some vervain your way, wouldn't want just any vampire rolling into town and messing with my thi- friends"

"I'm so glad that you consider us friends, I was beginning to wonder with all that sarcasm." Bonnie was smiling and Caroline was eyeing her oddly. Probably because it was supposed to be girls night and Elena had never shown up. She'd been doing that a lot since…well she just hadn't been showing up a lot. Not that any of them could blame her really.

"Of course we're friends, if we weren't I already would have swung by Mystic Falls and snapped your neck just so I wouldn't have to hear your voice in my head any longer."

"Thanks for the thought Damon. But what's vervain?"

"Compulsion is … a type of mind control vampires have, we can get people to do whatever we want them to. Vervain is a type of flower, it protects you from being compelled, keeps your mind safe if you have it on you or in your bloodstream.

"Have you ever done that to me?"

"No Bonnie, I couldn't have even if I wanted to. You have to have eye contact when you do it."

"Oh" A few minutes of silence pass and Damon waits for the connection to be cut. She abruptly begins speaking again, spitting out the question before she can think better of it. "Wouldn't that get really boring though?"

"What?"

"Always getting what you want-right way- I mean, you would have no goals because you don't really need any. Don't get me wrong, at first it would be cool, but it would be kind of like Sims wouldn't it? You could use cheat codes, but then your people have everything so-." Damon ends the connection and shakes his head to clear it from her ramblings. _Sims_ really? He really wondered about her sometimes.

_((O))_

"Where are you now?"

"London, enjoying a cup of tea with a beautiful woman, before you interrupted."

"I love tea! Wakes me up so much better than coffee anyway, though neither Elena and Caroline ever listen to me during our morning afters."

"Bonnie, do you need something?"

"No I was just bored. Enjoy your date!"

_((O))_

The package arrives a week later, sporting international stamps and a return address to a hotel in London. Bonnie opens it in an empty house- her father is away for work, as usual, and claps a few times to herself. Nestled within are a number of different tea tins, and finally a small bag of a spice she's never seen.

_The pouch contains vervain, just put a pinch into the leaves each time you brew tea. Having a cup of vervain tea every 24 hours will ensure constant protection. It's tasteless, but don't try and poison a vampire by brewing a cup for them, anyone can smell it in the steam._

_((O))_

"So _Twilight_ just arrived in our second run theater." Bonnie laughs as she hears Damon groan.

"That woman has ruined vampires. Seriously, sparkling? How did she even think of that?"

"Well how was she to know that the sun doesn't affect you guys at all?"

"Bonnie, vampires burn in the sun."

"But you're out in the sun all of the time."

"I'm a super special vampire though." Bonnie doesn't say anything, but sends her one eyebrow raised look of disbelief through the connection as strongly as she can. "I have a ring that lets me go out in the sun, it was enchanted by a witch- one of your ancestors actually."

"How many vampires have magically enchanted jewelry."

"Not nearly as many as you think, witches are infamous for their lack of cooperation when it comes to helping vampires. Or just being around vampires in general. I'm not sure how we're still even speaking amicably."

"Yeah my Grams seemed to imply that we shouldn't speak, apparently you're an abomination or something like that, but I decided that it wasn't your fault and I would keep talking to you."

"Why thank you Miss Bennett, I know my days would be endless fields of emptiness without your conversations to counteract the loneliness festering in my black heart."

"Shut up."

_((O))_

"Where are you?"

"California."

"What're you doing?"

"Picking up something that hasn't grown on the East Coast in a long time."

"Why isn't it grown here anymore?"

"I made sure it wouldn't."

_((O))_

"You sent me an ugly plant."

"And directions on how to harvest it. I suggest planting it in the back yard instead of the front by the way, you wouldn't want any of your nosy neighbors to become suspicious about what you know."

_((O))_

"Ugh, I'm so bored here. There's nothing to do. Not that I could do anything anyway considering none of my friends are around won't. Caroline's off in Georgia with her dad and Steve, and Elena's completely shut off from the world. She doesn't leave her house. I wish I could be you, all over the world wherever you want to be with no limitations or people to hold you back."

"Bonnie, you said yourself that you would get bored after awhile. Besides, you love those people, and take it from someone who's lost everyone he's ever loved, you should value them while you have them." Bonnie exhaled loudly.

"You're right. But still, you've never been anywhere as boring as Mystic Falls."

"That's true, I've never been anywhere that is quite so dreary. However I have been to Mystic Falls, so I've lived through your suffering." Bonnie threw down the book she's been skimming and sat bolt upright in bed.

"You've been to Mystic Falls! When?"

"I grew up there, as a human. Mid nineteenth century."

"I never asked how you how you became a vampire."

"No, you haven't" Bonnie just knew he was smirking.

"Are you going to tell me?" There was a pause, and the other end was silent. For a minute Bonnie thought that he had cut off the connection and cursed herself for being so pushy. But then he started a story, telling it in a stilted sort of way. As if he were trying to disconnect himself from it.

"I was on leave from the war after I watched all of my friends; nearly my entire company actually, die. I came home to our plantation to find my brother cozying up to our house guest. Her name was Katherine and she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Both Stefan, my brother, and I pursued her and things got complicated. She was a vampire, and our town hated vampires. Long story short she exchanged blood with both of us and then got caught by the hunters when they were flushing out all of the vampires. My brother and I tried to protect her, save her. Our father shot us both in the chest and we died that night. We were both vampires by that morning. And no longer brothers, I vowed to make sure he was never happy again, or something like that anyway."

"Wow. Mystic Falls was _not _boring when you were alive."

"Oh it only seems that way to you. Besides, just because it seems like nothing has happened in your life yet, doesn't mean nothing will. When you're older you'll look back at your exciting young life and wonder why you ever complained."

"Maybe you're right, but I wish the excitement would start already, before I die of boredom."

_((O))_

Another package arrived, this one distinctly smaller than the last. It had been shoved into her mailbox sometime during the weekend Bonnie had been away. Her and Caroline had finally left Mystic Falls, going on a short trip to the beach.

Ripping open the bubble wrap envelope, Bonnie slid out the small box inside. A ring box. Bonnie quickly decided to read the letter before she opened that.

_Hey Bonnie, found a more permanent solution to the vervain situation. I figured a fashion conscious girl like you wouldn't want to be caught wearing the same necklace for every day of the rest of your life. So here's a ring, it's got a secret catch and has been hollowed to fit something small inside. Now usually this would be poison, but I suggest fitting a few sprigs of vervain in there instead. Keep yourself safe.  
p.s. You should be pleased to know that I actually PAID for this. _

Bonnie smiled brightly before slipping the ring onto her finger.

_((O))_

Damon stopped in mid sip when he noticed that the blonde's moans weren't the only noises reaching his ears.

"What's going on- why'd you stop?" Damon shook his head before grasping the girl's chin and staring into her eyes.

"Don't speak, make any noise or move." Her mouth stilled instantly and Damon stood, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. Now that she was shut up Damon could actually hear, and those whimpers and sniffles- definitely weren't coming from anywhere near him. Which meant-

"Bonnie?"

Sniff "Damon?" Sniff.

"Are you alright? What happened?"

"N-N-Nothing. I'm j-just being stupid." Damon looked back at his meal. He was thirsty, and he really didn't want to give up his fix to comfort a teenage girl who was halfway across the globe. However, for the first time in a long time, Damon had found himself calling someone his friend, and actually _meaning _it.

"You are going to go home and go to bed, and sleep all night. When you wake up tomorrow you won't remember anything that happened after you entered the bar." With that the blonde stumbled away, and Damon was left out in the cold. Without a willing host he would have to find a hotel, and he may as well get started while he had this conversation.

"Bonnie, something obviously happened. I would ask you who I need to come around and kill, but I don't think you'd appreciate the joke." Bonnie made a noise that could have passed for a short laugh, if it wasn't for the gasping breaths that came after it. She was sobbing.

"I-It's just E-E-Elena. Her p-parents are dead a-and she's so d-d-different. And I get that, b-but she acts like she has the worst possible life. B-but at least her parent didn't w-want to leave her. My parent don't e-even want me. They had a choice, and M-Mom decided to abandon me and Dad n-never looks me in the eye anymore. A-And I f-f-feel like a horrible p-person and friend for feeling this b-but I can't stop." The last part was practically wailed and Damon couldn't help but wince.

"Bonnie, I understand. My mother…when my brother was born…she didn't make it through the birth. But my father, well, we never saw eye to eye and if he could have abandoned me he would have. And he did I guess, when he shot me. Both are awful, and no one should have to be without their parents when they are as young, and as kind, as you. But Bonnie, feeling this way does not make you a bad person, or a bad friend. It just makes you human. Now, you know I'm not one for heart to hearts and we both know that I am not the one you need for comfort. Why don't you call Caroline? You sound like you need a hug."

Bonnie took in a rattling breath before nodding. How he knew she was nodding he had no idea, and it was not something he cared to question either. Damon didn't cut the connection, even after Caroline arrived and he found a hotel. He flipped through the channels on the small screen television while the girls ate ice cream straight from the carton. He listened as the girls' conversation segued from comfort into back to school shopping. Though he cringed, he did not cut the connection even as they discussed the hottest boys at school. And in the end it was all worth, for just as he was drifting off, he heard Bonnie murmur in a sleepy voice.

"Thank you, Damon." Something in him warmed just a bit. It almost made him want be nice more often. Almost.

_((O))_

"Whoa, where'd you get the huge rock?" Caroline's loud exclamation startled Elena enough that she zoned back into the conversation. Seeing a safe topic, Elena snatched it and joined Caroline's inquisition.

"Yeah, I meant to ask Bon, what's with the ring?" Bonnie twisted the ring around her finger once, a nervous habit she had picked up since she began wearing it.

"Oh, well someone gave it to me and I like it… so I've been wearing it." Caroline raised her eyebrows and Elena attempted to stay engaged in the conversation.

"You were wearing it the last time I saw you too, when you came by to compare schedules." Bonnie nodded. It was true; she hadn't taken the ring off since she first had put it on. She really wasn't sure what she was supposed to respond to Elena's statement. Caroline fixed her dilemma.

"That's not the important part Elena, the important part is the _someone_. If it had been her dad she would have said it, and she didn't. And no boy at our high school would buy that. So tell us Bonnie, who is this someone who finds the need to buy you expensive jewelry?" Bonnie bit her lip, not sure what to tell them.

"Bonnie, did you score yourself a sugar daddy!" Caroline's shout drew the eyes of the surrounding tables and flipped Bonnie back into motion. Shaking her head violently she smiled weakly at the other patrons of the Grill. Trying to say, _oh this is just my crazy friend don't listen to a word she says._ Most turn back to their own conversations so she thinks the look works.

"God, Caroline don't shout stuff like that. And no, for your information, I did not get myself a sugar daddy. He's just my friend." Too late Bonnie realized her mistake. She could have said a family friend, or an extended family member, or even the old woman down the street. But instead she had classified the someone as both male and unknown to both of her friends. Even Elena looked interested now.

"Umm…I gotta go! Bye!" Bonnie scooped up her bag and threw enough money on the table to cover her sandwich before rushing towards the door. She bumped into Jeremy on the way out but didn't stop to say hello, he was definitely stoned.

_((O))_

"Here you are Bonnie, a starter grimoire. It took a while for me to unearth it but I found it buried under some of my old protest signs. You already know some of the spells in here from what I've taught you, but I've bookmarked one that I think you should learn as soon as possible." Bonnie flipped through the old pages until she fell upon the red ribbon that marked the dusty page.

"Aneurysm…artery widening…blood vessel…bursting…death…incapacitating pain for fast healers. Grams this is a torture spell!" Bonnie's grandmother simply shrugged.

"If you insist on keeping the company of vampires I want to make sure you're properly protected. There's also a few on instant sunlight and fire starting that you may be interested in, though I know you have a natural affinity for it." She smiled and Bonnie shook her head, not quite believing that this was her life.

"Pour me a glass of whatever you're drinking, my grandmother is teaching me ways to torture my friends." Sheila just laughed.

_((O))_

"So Bonnie I was wondering, are you doing anything next week? 'Cuz I was thinking-" The boy's inquiring rambling was cut off by the voice in Bonnie head. Except, you know, Damon was an actual person and not just a voice.

"Reject! He can't even get full words out Bonnie." He's done this to the last boy that asked her out too, and she had been inclined to believe him. Except, that night she had went home alone and there was no one to give her a good night kiss at the door. No one to softly brush a lock of hair behind her ear. No eyes to get lost in. Bonnie was lonely, and even if she had a friend who was just a "call" away, she was a teenaged girl. She wanted a boyfriend. So this time around she decided to cut him off early.

"Shut up Damon." Then she ended the connection and smiled brightly at the boy standing before her.

"I'd love to go out, Adam. How does Wednesday sound?" He nods before hurrying back to his friends. Its Sunday now, which means her date is in three days and she goes back to school in nine. She's not looking forward to either.

The date is horrible, but Bonnie appreciates Damon a little more for his advice.

_((O))_

_I am Ironman._

As the credits role Bonnie can't help a little clapping, it is one of her favorite movies. Besides, she's alone in her living room and there's no one here to judge her except…

"Are you clapping? Really? You do know that no one who was in that film can hear you right?" Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, you fun sucker. You know you enjoyed it too. I would be surprised if you didn't go out and get an Ironman shirt. You are totally Tony Stark."

"Who does that make you? Pepper Potts?" It's supposed to be condescending, but it doesn't come quite right to be heard that way.

"Hey! She gets her own suit in the comics you know. We could be like a team. An ass kicking team." Damon chuckles and shuts off his laptop. It was movie night, and God how embarrassing is it that he has a standing movie night with a girl he has never even met. What's happened to him? He'll have to kill someone later to make up for it.

"And who exactly would we be hunting down? Criminals? You do know that would make me kind of a hypocrite right?" He doesn't want her to have any delusions about who he is. Well, he kind of does, but he can't _lie _to her.

"We'd only get the really bad ones. Like I don't know, rampaging vampires, or pedophiles." Now Damon lets out a full out laugh. He can't remember the last time he laughed when he wasn't speaking to her.

"Bonnie and Damon; PedoHunters."

"Yeah! We could have a reality TV show!"

_((O))_

Bonnie fiddles with her ring as she waits for Elena to come back from the restroom, now wishing she had gone with her. She would much rather be waiting in the bathroom then sitting across the table from Caroline. Who's eyes have strayed to the ring again.

"So, how is Mr. Mystery?" Bonnie blushed.

"Don't call him that."

"Well Bon, since you haven't given us a name, I have to work with what I've got. So answer the question."

"He's fine." Elena slipped back into her seat and began digging through one of her shopping bags. They had gone to the mall to get their very last minute back to school shopping done for tomorrow, but now Bonnie wishes she had declined the invitation.

"Are we ever going to meet him?" Caroline raised an eyebrow and lightly prodded Elena's arm so she would pay attention.

"He's still travelling, he's in Vienna right now. But I think he said he may be coming state side soon." Caroline nodded disbelievingly.

"Well that's good, we'll have to set something up." Bonnie knew that Caroline and Elena, but mostly Caroline, had decided that there was no guy that actually existed, and that Bonnie had bought the ring for herself at Sears. Not that Bonnie blamed them, she had never given them a name and when asked she only provided the city he was currently in. But she didn't really mind, for some reason the thought of Damon meeting Elena irked Bonnie to no end.

_((O))_

"I predict this year is going to be kick-ass and I predict that all the sad and dark times are over and that you are going to be beyond happy."

Bonnie sees a crow on the street sign out of the corner of her eye. There's jolt of familiarity but she ignores it, pulling back into the street and hoping her prediction is true.

_((O))_

Elena looked truely interested in something for the first time in months and Bonnie couldn't help but be a little bit happy about that, at least something was going well today. Not only had she missed breakfast this morning, not to mention almost crashing her car, but had tried to talk to Damon earlier and he hadn't answered. Now she had that to worry about on top of the poor (but hot) new kid being pulled apart in a tug of war game between Caroline and Elena. Hopefully tomorrow's bonfire wouldn't be disastrous. Oh, and she still had to find a man and coin a new phrase.

_((O))_

"Damon." She hissed desperately, hoping but not really believing that he would answer. Only a few hours earlier she had tried to talk to him and had been met by radio silence. Now though she was frantic. Why she had thought signing up for an extra history class, even if the sixties were awesome, was a good idea Bonnie had no clue.

"Yes Bonnie?" Shocked, Bonnie took a second to answer. The teacher glanced up from his desk, watching her. She hadn't answered any of the questions yet.

"You lived through the sixties right?" Damon made a confirming noise that Bonnie took as a _yes Bonnie and you may now ask me any questions you have_. So she did.

"Who did JFK beat when he ran for president 1960?"

"Nixon." Bonnie circled the letter C.

"What year was the Blank Panthers political organization formed?"

"1966."

"What famous American penitentiary closed in 1963?"

"Alcatraz."

"What safety device did Allen Breed invent in 1968?"

"An automatic airbag. I think."

"What was the name of the first weather satellite launched by the United States?"

"TIROS-1"

"From what country did Burundi gain its independence from in 1962?"

"Belgium." Bonnie filled in the last bubble (A) before practically skipping up to the desk to hand in her quiz. The teacher smiled at her but Bonnie refused to smile back, after all, what kind of teacher gave a quiz on the first day.

"Bonnie, did I just take a history quiz for you?"

"Yeah, I mean what's the point of having this link thing if I can't use you for cheating on history tests?"

_((O))_

"Of course she'll be there." Bonnie smiled across the table at Elena. This guy was totally into her, and Elena needed that after what a shitty time last year was. Bonnie knew that Caroline wanted him, but that would end in disaster, especially since Stefan was trying to reject her as politely as possible. Bonnie just hopes this works out.

_((O))_

The fog rolled in and surrounded the girl. He was doing to this old school. She was calling out for someone, but there wasn't anyone around as far as Damon could hear. Perfect, he wanted to fit in a snack before he actually entered the town. And this girl's blood wouldn't be so bad, if it weren't for all the alcohol and other substances, he might even deem it delicious.

"Damon?" His head snapped up, five seconds before the girl had been calling out for a Jeremy, how had she-? "Damon, are you there?" This statement was followed by a hiccup and a few giggles. Of course. Damon settled against a tree and swatted the fog and the girl away.

"Yes Bonnie, I'm here." A few more giggles followed by a sigh.

"Damon I'm drunk."

"I never would have guessed."

"Damon, I think I'm clairy-um…clairvoyant."

"That wouldn't be an uncommon development, given that you are a witch."

"Yeah, I guess not. But the vision thingies are annoying- I only get flashes. Like, before I just had one of a dude, a crow, and a bunch of fog. What is that even supposed to mean?" Damon froze. She may not know what her vision was showing her, but he knew.

"That's… quite interesting." Bonnie sighed dramatically.

"I feel sad now. I need another drink!" The latter sentence was practically shouted into his mind, and Damon knew she must have said it aloud as well.

"You really don't. Why don't you go and get some coffee instead. But don't drive! Get a ride from someone." And oh God, since when did Damon start giving advice like he was on an after school special?

_((O))_

And then…

"Bonnie! Call an ambulance!" And Bonnie is dialing 9-1-1 and Vicki is bleeding all over and Bonnie feels herself gagging- and not from the alcohol she drank. The operator's voice comes through the line and the entire situation seems to have shocked Bonnie into sobriety.

"I need an ambulance at…"

_((O))_

"Why are you here now?"

"I could ask you the same question. However, I'm fairly certain your answer could be summed up into one little word. Elena" Deflect, avoid, and distract.

Crashing through a window was never so fun.

_((O))_

"I'm inappropriate and I always say the wrong thing. And Elena always says the right thing. God, she doesn't even try and he just picks her! And she's always the one that everyone picks, for everything, and I try so hard and I'm never the one that..." Bonnie shakes her head.

"It's not a competition, Caroline." Caroline's eyes are suddenly clearer, and her stare sharper.

"Yeah it is." Bonnie reached out a hand and squeezes Caroline's quickly.

"It's going to be okay Caroline. So this guy wasn't for you, that's his fault. But you'll find a guy who will choose you. And he'll see that you are beautiful, and know that you're smart, and he'll love your inappropriateness. You'll look back on this day and you'll wonder why you ever wanted Stefan Salvatore at all." Caroline smiled at her weakly.

"He needs an accent too. Everyone's hotter with an accent."

"Definitely, British all the way." Bonnie smiled widely at her friend as she took another sip of coffee. "Okay, I'm going to go pay and then we'll get out of here." Caroline nodded and Bonnie stood and walked over to the bar.

When she turned back someone had joined Caroline at the table. For a second she saw the leather jacket and thought it was Stefan, but she realized that the hair was too dark, and there was no hood sticking out. Besides this guy was older and had an edge…he looked dangerous. Bonnie, not wanting Caroline to make any drunken mistakes, quickly weaved her way back through the tables.

"Hey Caroline, want to introduce me to your friend?" Both Caroline and the man turned their faces up to her and smiled beatifically.

"No need to play coy Bonnie, your friend had already introduced himself. And now that he's finally in town you can stop keeping him a secret." Caroline turns her face back towards the man. "I was calling you Mr. Mystery you know, she wouldn't even tell us your name."

"I'm honored, and pleased that Bonnie would mention me at all." He was speaking to Caroline but his eyes had not left Bonnie's face since they landed there. For once, Caroline did not seem to mind a guy paying attention to someone other than her.

"Don't worry about getting me home, I texted Tiki and she's already outside. So I'll just leave you two to…catch up." Caroline grabbed her jacket and slipped away. Bonnie stayed standing till Damon inclined his head just ever so slightly to the seat across from him, the one that Caroline had just vacated.

"Damon?" He took a sip of coffee before answering.

"Hey Bonnie, fancy seeing you here." His hand just brushed her wrist as he reached for the cream. Bonnie's whole world slid into place.


End file.
